Alpha at Holy Family Parish!
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Alpha is at Holy Family Parish!
We believe everyone should have the chance to explore the Christian faith, ask questions and share their point of view. Each of us has a story to tell … and God wants to be a part of that story!
So what is Alpha?
It’s a series of sessions that explore the Christian faith, run over a series of eleven weeks. Each talk will look at a different question regarding faith and is designed to create conversation. It’s run around the globe, by many different denominations, and to date, over 29 million people have been a part of it!
How does Alpha work?
It’s simple: food, fellowship, a video and sharing. That’s it! Each week, for a series of eleven weeks, we’ll gather for some type of meal and begin with catching up with everyone in the group – how was your week, how is the family, what has stuck with you from last week. Then, we’ll be introduced to and view the weekly video presentation. Finally, we spend a period of time conversing about our thoughts, feelings, and experiences around the video. The video is not meant to catechize … it’s meant to foster fellowship among the community. Often times we’ll then end our weekly session with some type of praise and worship song or prayer.How do I get started with an Alpha group?
Just simply find a current Alpha offering, and join in! There’s no commitments, no sign-ups, no sign-ins. In fact, if you’re already part of an Alpha offering, you’re always invited to bring a friend! The videos could be attended at any step along the way, though once you’ve begun, you may want to go back and follow along through any missed videos later.Sounds Great! So when can I come?
Alpha is currently being run on Thursday evenings 5:00-7:00 PM. More sessions will be made available soon, check back here or watch the parish calendar! If you have a suggested time and date for a series of sessions to be held, please let us know by emailing our parish staff at office@holyfamily-parish.org and we’ll work to accommodate your request!
I missed an Alpha session ... can I catch up?
You most certainly can! While the real strength of Alpha is in the relationships that are built through the meal and conversation, and then reflection on the video, we also want you to be able to access any previous information so you can continue to follow along in your Alpha guide. To that end, Alpha has made the videos available through their website, but each one will have a watermarked Alpha symbol in middle of the screen, so as to encourage people to join a group. If you'd like to view the video that we actually saw in the session, you can always ask the presenter for a copy, and one can be provided.
To view the past Alpha video sessions from the Alpha film series, visit https://alphausa.org/alpha-film-series-preview.
Alpha in a Catholic Context
There are certain video presentations that have been re-presented to offer the Alpha material from a Catholic perspective. We have included links here, so that they can be accessed from anywhere.
Session 4: Can I have Faith? Presented by Bishop Michael Byrnes
Session 11: What about the Church? Presented by Fr. James Mallon (author of Divine Renovation)
Session 11: What About the Church? Presented by Bishop Michael Byrnes
Are we really filled with the Spirit? Audio Presentation by Fr. Dan Felton
Fr Dan Felton, Vicar General of the Diocese of Green Bay, presented a very powerful and inspiring talk to the Diocesan priests and curia at a recent gathering. This talk would encompass material from the first two talks on the Alpha retreat weekend. You can listen to his talk (without video) below.
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